Is it possible to lose weight without exercising?
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First of all, congrats on realising you need to address this now (and not 10-15 years down the road, like me!) You're putting into place most of the things you need to do to maintain a good lifestyle - learning to cook is, I believe, key.
Yes, it is possible to lose weight without exercising, but as many above have said, it's better to exercise for fitness. From your statement - "[my job] is not physically demanding, but is mentally demanding" - I'm assuming it's a desk job, possibly at a computer? In that case, I would advocate getting up every hour for a stretch the legs - it's recommended for long term VDU work, to avoid back problems and eyestrain. If you are able to, take a break at lunchtime and walk. Try to get outside (plenty of vitamin D, which helps with mood and energy - amongst other things).
What I did, when starting this journey, was to pledge to myself to walk a little more. So I walk for a mile before work, at least a mile at lunchtime and a mile in the evening. Not only does it help with my energy physically, but it gives me space to wind down (at lunch and in the evening) and to plan and think about any problems (in the morning and a lunchtime). So by taking a little time out, I've actually made myself more productive.
Good luck!0 -
To the contrary, you almost cant lose weight just by exercising
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html
that oughtta put things in perspective
This ^^^0 -
Sure.
Skip breakfast and rewire your "hunger" impulses.
It makes little sense that the human animal was designed to have to do pointless physical activity in order to maintain a healthful weight.
Go to the kindle site of Dr, Hagan's "Breakfast: The Least Important Meal of the Day" and read the free first thirty pages- it tells you all you need to know to get a grip on things.
Hey Steve I see you are still spouting this nonsense...jeez man give it up.
to the OP ...I lost my first 30lbs without exercise but here is the thing...your tired don't exercise...that's fine...your tired...you exercise...bam energy for the next day...you come home not so tired you exercise again...bam more energy...
It's that little round about...the thing is if you don't want to don't...but if you want more energy do something..even a 20min walk...
I agree! You'll have more energy once you start exercising. You'll feel so much better physically and mentally. Just do it! (No I don't work for Nike
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Try exercising in the morning. Just wake up half an hour earlier. (You can do it! Go to bed half an hour earlier, too.) If you exercise in the morning you'll have more energy all day and you will feel great about accomplishing something already each day. And then you can come home and relax after a hard day's work.0
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The best thing about living in Texas is all the fresh, delicious produce! Make yourself big ol' salads. Jicama was my favorite when I lived in Houston. Peel it, cut it up into sticks and dip it in hummus. Best snack! Most importantly, try the places everyone is raving about. Just don't go overboard. (Pappadeaux, Guadalajara, and Gatlin's BBQ were my favorite places to eat!)0
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Most initial weight loss begins with what and how much you eat.
I am a big believer that an active body is a healthy one. Not to be disrespectful but I am almost 50, work in a job that requires an above average amount of attention to details and has ever changing priorities. I know what it is to leave the office and feel mentally exhausted. But, I still run 3-4x per week. Believe it or not, running actually helps me feel refreshed after a hard day's work!
But, exercise is completely up to you!
So, to answer your specific question. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise. To do so, you will need to manage your calories and nutrients to match your daily activity level. A small daily calorie deficit will certainly have you losing weight.0 -
a one hour workout is only 4% of your day.....yes, I lost my first 25 pounds without exercise but it gets harder and honestly the exercise is worth it in the long run....I know you said you are not making a lot of excuses but as a mom with 2 kids, being a full-time college student in the middle of a divorce....there are no excuses in my humble opinion to not exercise....0
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Yes but is it healthy? Besides experience shows the body just adjusts to the calorie intake. I use to come home exhausted each night. My work was stressful and long hours. I was gaining weight and sometimes losing when I was on a diet. You would think it is counter productive to exercise after work but it is not...yesterday was another long day full of stress and frankly I was exhausted. I came home and did what I normally do, I ran. I was scheduled to run 3 miles I ran 4. I was out of breath and walked up the hill but I ran and when I arrived home after recovering my breath I was no longer tired, I was no longer deeply stressed and I had a good evening with my family. I also noted a twinge in my right knee I had no noticed before. So today's workout is weights and mild cardio while the legs recover and again my stress level will be reduced. In the meantime my family benefits as do I from a more energetic me. Now I am trying to convince my wife of the same exercise does work.0
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I have a treadmill in front of my TV/DVR and that is the way I watch my TV every day. It passes the time REALLY fast and doesn't even feel like a workout. Then I (often, if I have the time) follow it with a nice bath. Both of these things together are stress-relieving and relaxing and keep me away from the kitchen, as well (as opposed to sitting on the couch watching TV, which always makes me think I should have a snack).
If you have the funds to get a treadmill, I HIGHLY recommend this setup! I have used it almost daily (with a few periods I stopped, like when I was pregnant and a few times here and there) since I got my treadmill in 2001! I honestly feel anxious now if I try to sit on the couch to watch TV because I feel like, "Why just sit here and watch this when I could be ALSO getting exercise!? This is a waste!"0 -
Just a thought...
If your job is so mentally demanding, your brain may need some time to relax. Walking is just the ticket for some decompress, de-stress, un-clutter and relax time for your hea.0 -
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Sure.
Skip breakfast and rewire your "hunger" impulses.
It makes little sense that the human animal was designed to have to do pointless physical activity in order to maintain a healthful weight.
Go to the kindle site of Dr, Hagan's "Breakfast: The Least Important Meal of the Day" and read the free first thirty pages- it tells you all you need to know to get a grip on things.
What a load of Bollocks
Yes you can lose by not exercising. All lose is about less calories in than you burn. If you haven't done it yet you should look at your TDEE (maintenance level calories) and BMR (What you need to basically sleep 24 hours) and your BMI (Are you classed Obese or just overweight or are you in fact a healthy weight in which case you need exercise and toning more than loss)
Set your goal 500 calories a day below your TDEE and you will lose a pound a week, 1000 calories below and you will lose 2 pounds a week (really this setting is for obese BMI then you need to reassess as you near your goal)
As to exercise I can totally identify with being bagged at the end of the day. Regardless I started by walking home 7km every day regardless of the weather this winter. First week I struggled, now it's a piece of cake and I get home and walk the dog 4km many days. I've started to move on to cycling both ways (Wow very different muscle set there) the exercise has given me more energy and I eat at 1000 calorie deficit after eating back exercise calories (I work off a sedentary level TDEE)
Good luck with your goals0 -
Yes you can lose, but exercising will give you MORE energy. So will healthier eating.0
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Yep. I lost most of my weight without doing any exercise other than walking the dog. And I don't mean for miles a day. All I did was maintain a calorie deficit. This year I'm focusing on exercise as well, not for weight loss, but for general health, energy and toning.0
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Sure.
Skip breakfast and rewire your "hunger" impulses.
It makes little sense that the human animal was designed to have to do pointless physical activity in order to maintain a healthful weight.
Go to the kindle site of Dr, Hagan's "Breakfast: The Least Important Meal of the Day" and read the free first thirty pages- it tells you all you need to know to get a grip on things.
Hey Steve I see you are still spouting this nonsense...jeez man give it up.
to the OP ...I lost my first 30lbs without exercise but here is the thing...your tired don't exercise...that's fine...your tired...you exercise...bam energy for the next day...you come home not so tired you exercise again...bam more energy...
It's that little round about...the thing is if you don't want to don't...but if you want more energy do something..even a 20min walk...
LOL. What are you talking about? You make no sense.
By "your" do you mean "you're?"
Probably.
You have to master the basics first before becoming an expert in weight loss. Simple things like grammar.
I'll just put this here:1. No Attacks or Insults and No Reciprocation
a) Do not attack, mock, or otherwise insult others. You can respectfully disagree with the message or topic, but you cannot attack the messenger. This includes attacks against the user’s spelling or command of written English , or belittling a user for posting a duplicate topic.
OP, I exercised on and off for the past couple of years, and only recently started becoming consistent with it. I can tell you that before exercising consistently I would just sleep most of the time and had no extra energy. But now I feel like I have a lot more energy, and I feel stronger, and it's wonderful.
The answer to your question, as others have stated, is yes, you can lose weight without exercising. But in the long run exercise is good for your health, for strength, for your bones (by strengthening muscles to better support them).
If you start small, it won't be as overwhelming. I totally agree with taking a little walk, maybe on your lunch break, or before or after your work. Fitnessblender.com and Lions Gate Be Fit on Youtube are great sources for workouts that can fit your schedule. Good luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
You can lose weight without exercise but I find it makes your skin look loose and older. It gives an unhealthy skin falling off the bones kinda sickly looking appearance if you have more than a few pounds to lose. If you exercise your more solid and skin would look less droopy and it also helps with inflamation in your body.0
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Yes I did.
Yes I am sure I am now lined up for the "OMG you need to exercise" brigade, but tbh being 5 stone lighter and not much exercise is so much more healthy that 5 stone heavier and no exercise is it not.
I do go for a special walk occasionally and have been even known to do a few minutes on an exercise bike. I consider myself sedentary, I do walk about at work and in my 'usual' day to day activites but don't do anything over that.
I didn't struggle to lose weight, I stuck to my sedentary calories and if I did go for a power walk at lunchtime, ate those back. It works.
If you want to friend me please do - I am still logging 560 days in and maintaining for 3 months - its still a learning curve but we can do it :happy:0 -
You sound depressed dear
I was in your spot. Then I forced myself to get up and go to a boxing class just once a week at 6am before work. I go straight to work all smelly and don't care. Whatev. Then once a week turned into twice a week and then I added a running class and now I know I'm going to have a crappy day if I don't exercise in the morning. You really do need to exercise, if for no other reason than making you happier.
And I know it feels like torture or punishment at first but it can be fun. It will become fun. Just gotta have the right frame of mind.0 -
If all you want to do is lose weight, reducing your calorie intake is enough for that. If you also want to have a healthy cardiovascular system, endurance, stamina, strength, and visibly developed muscles, you should also engage in cardio exercise and strength training. By dieting alone you will be certainly be lighter, but you will also be scrawny or soft and doughy and get winded walking up a flight of stairs, which isn’t a desirable situation for most people.0
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14 years ago I lost 5 stone in 10 months by eating 1200 calories a day and no exercise except for day to day activities, I was 40 at the time. My stomach was as flat as a board and no loose skin and no wobbly bits. My cholesterol was down and my blood pressure was down. Stopping smoking, laziness and 14 years later Ive put it back on. This time round Im walking a little every day and as the weight comes off I plan to walk 7 days a week. The major difference this time round is Im still not smoking and have found just a few weeks into eating healthy food and the sugar cravings and binges have all gone already.
The key to success imo is logging all your food . Once the weight starts to come off you will be able to do more and more. carrying around 5 stone extra is exercise enough at the beginning, but eating healthier food and counting calories gives you immediate pep and confidence ive found.0 -
Sure.
Skip breakfast and rewire your "hunger" impulses.
It makes little sense that the human animal was designed to have to do pointless physical activity in order to maintain a healthful weight.
Go to the kindle site of Dr, Hagan's "Breakfast: The Least Important Meal of the Day" and read the free first thirty pages- it tells you all you need to know to get a grip on things.
Hey Steve I see you are still spouting this nonsense...jeez man give it up.
to the OP ...I lost my first 30lbs without exercise but here is the thing...your tired don't exercise...that's fine...your tired...you exercise...bam energy for the next day...you come home not so tired you exercise again...bam more energy...
It's that little round about...the thing is if you don't want to don't...but if you want more energy do something..even a 20min walk...
LOL. What are you talking about? You make no sense.
By "your" do you mean "you're?"
Probably.
You have to master the basics first before becoming an expert in weight loss. Simple things like grammar.
To the OP: Folks can lose weight without exercising, but to keep it off long-term, they have to control hunger. That's where the money is. Don't let anyone tell you any differently.
Oh you caught me...typo because as you can tell from my first statement I don't use contractions often...I prefer not using shortcuts...
And ironic post is ironic...you meaning "You Steve" need to mater basics first before coming an expert in weight loss...instead of reading a paper and regurgitating (notice correct spelling even) as fact without anything else to back it up is not mastering the basics...
It is not about when you eat or what you eat....it's about how much you eat, controlling hunger...you do not need to read 30 pages of some obscure paper to figure that out...it is called eating food when you are hungry...and guess what that information was garnered not from reading but from basic living life...Surprise...0
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